Metastatic Thymic Carcinoma with Long Survival After Treatment with Sunitinib

Thymic carcinomas are the most aggressive histological subtype of thymic tumors with limited data to guide correct management. No standard treatments are available for patients with advanced thymic carcinoma after progressing while on platinum-based chemotherapy. We present a case of a patient with metastatic thymic carcinoma with an unusual response and favorable evolution after receiving treatment with sunitinib, obtaining a progression-free survival of 23 months, much higher than reported to date. We review the literature on the efficacy of sunitinib in metastatic thymic carcinoma after progression to first-line treatment with platinum combinations.